For now, the Iraqi army continues back-clearing areas in the east and north of Mosul and clearing areas in the north to set conditions for operations on the west side, Dorrian said.
“Coalition forces are working with the [Iraqi forces] on planning how we can support [them] with advice and assistance; strikes; and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. And we continue training hold forces for once Mosul is liberated,” he said.
The terrain in west Mosul is challenging to clear, Dorrian noted, and the narrowness of the roads and the density of the buildings sets conditions for close fighting.
SDF Back-Clearing Near Tabqa Dam
In Syria, the Syrian Democratic Forces with their affiliated Syrian-Arab Coalition fighters continue to back-clear and strengthen defensive positions 2 to 3 miles west of Tabqa Dam, the spokesman said.
“As local Arab tribes join the ranks, the coalition will continue to bolster these fighters' abilities with training, weapons and equipment as we have already done for more than 3,000 members of the SAC,” he said.
And recently, he added, the coalition provided several Guardian armored vehicles to give the Syrian-Arab coalition increased survivability from ISIL's small arms and homemade bomb threats.
“We continue to deconflict strikes, air operations and, more recently, ground operations … and sharing targeting information,” Dorrian said of the fight in Syria. “We believe the coalition is more lethal against ISIL due to these unified efforts.”
(Source: US Dept of Defense)
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